Compact rain shelter



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15, 1962 mum5w .2 MN m WEDGE ll 4 wu n E L I Q N N 5* m N UMDQE "3 II. II III llll r m mmawc O INVEN TOK ASBuRY IRWIN WILSON wmDwE June 1, 1965 Filed May 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet? United States Patent 3,136,421 CGMPACT RAIN SHELTER Asbury Irwin Wilson, Andersonviile, Tenn. Filed May 15, 1962, Ser. No. 196,556 2 (Jlainis. (Cl. 135-20) The advantages of an umbrella which can be stored within the handle are convenience in handling and protection for the stored fabric. There are four problems in producing such an umbrella. The materials should be lightweight, durable and economical. could qualify as suitable materials. The handle must be of convenient size and shape and also large enough to contain the stored structures. Therefore a thin fabric and a minimum number of fabric supports are necessary. In my umbrella three main supports could be used, although four are shown in the accompanying drawings. The third requirement of an umbrella is that it should have convenient operation. My umbrella has a slidable insert to which are pivotally attached the main fabric supports. The insert is permanently within the handle and is slidable between a stop at each end of the handle. The mechanism provides for simple, rapid opening and closing of the umbrella. It is unnecessary to fit the ribs and fabric into the handle because the structures are guided by the slidable insert. The fourth problem is devising a stable umbrella without awkward or impractical parts. The insert of my umbrella has size and shape conforming to the interior walls of the handle, which, with the first stop means, give stability to the spread fabric.

My umbrella is practical and safe for children and adults as there are no sharp parts of the umbrella. It is especially suitable for children to take to school, for keeping under a car seat, and for easy exit from a car with the umbrella open overhead.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of the open end of the handle.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the handle.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the handle top cover.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the slidable insert block with three main ribs attached to the block by securing pins.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the spread fabric.

FIG. 6 is side view of the open umbrella.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the handle and handle top cover in a closed position with the insert and attached ribs in a recessed position of storage within the handle.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a section of the fabric attached to the distal end of a main rib by a rubber band.

In the following description similar numerals indicate like parts in the several views of the drawings.

The parts of a complete umbrella are a handle 1, a handle top cover 2, an insert block 3, a first stop means 4, a second stop means 5, a fabric 6, four auxiliary ribs 7, four main ribs 8, and four round pins 9 for securing the main ribs 8 to the insert block 3. The handle 1 is an elongated tube which is open at one end 10 and closed at the opposite end 5. At the open end 10 of the handle 1 there are four longitudinal slots 11 for receiving the main ribs 8 when the ribs 8 are a spread position at approximately right angles to the handle 1 as shown in FIG. 6. There is an external rim 12 surrounding the handle 1 at the base of the slots 11. The slots 11 extend part way into the rim 12. The handle top cover is an elongated tube which has a closed end 13 and an open end 14. There is an external rim 15 surrounding the handle top cover 2 adjacent to the open end 14. The insert block 3 is flat on the top surface. The top of the insert block 3 has four paired elevations 16 with a round aperture 23 in each member of each pair. There is an aperture 17 in the center of the insert block 3. The insert 3 has dimensions and shape conforming to the Some plastics 3,186,421 Patented June 1, 1965 "ice interior walls of the handle 1 which permits the insert 3 to slide within the handle 1 without the insert 3 turning in any direction. The first stop means 4 is a small plastic block which is permanently fixed to the interior of the handle 1. The second stop means 5 is the closed end 5 of the handle 1. The fabric 6 is an octagonal section of plastic. There is a small perforation 18 in each alternate corner of the fabric 6 for securing the fabric 6 to the distal end 20 of each main rib 8. A main rib 8 is an elongated plastic rod with a round aperture near the proximal end 19 and an aperture 22 near the distal end 20. An auxiliary rib 7 is an elongated plastic rod, relatively shorter and thinner than the main ribs 8. A securing pin 9 is a round thin rod which will fit into the aperture of the proximal end of a main rib 8.

Assembling the umbrella is described herein. The proximal end 19 of a main rib 8 is placed between the two members of any pair of the four paired elevations 16 on the top side of the insert block 3 so that the round aperture of the main rib 8 is between and in exact alignment with the aperture 23 in each member of the pair of elevations 16. A securing pin 9 is inserted through the three aligned apertures, thereby securing the main ribs 8 to the insert block 3 as shown in FIG. 4. All main ribs 8 are secured to the insert 3 by the described method. Although not shown, a string or other means may be used to secure the main ribs to the insert. The main ribs 8 are pivoted to a position substantially parallel to each other and the insert 3 directed into the open end 10 of the handle 1 to the closed end 5 of the handle 1 as shown in FIG. 7. The first stop means 4 is permanently glued to the interior of the handle 1 at the exact distance from the second stop 5 which will limit the passage of the insert 3 to the position where the main ribs 8 can be pivoted into their respective receiving slots 11. Although not shown, a cord of proper length secured to the insert and to the second stop may be utilized as a first stop means. The auxiliary ribs 7 are attached to the underside of the fabric 6 by glue, tape, or sewing. The fabric 6 is attached to each main rib 8 by a rubber band 24 which is looped through a perforation 18 in the fabric 6 and tied through the aperture 22 in the distal end 20 of a main rib 8 as shown in FIG. 8. Each of the four rubber bands 24 securing the fabric 6 to the main ribs 8 are tied close enough to maintain slight tension on the spread fabric 6.

The operation of the assembled umbrella is described herein. To open the umbrella, the handle 1 and the handle top cover 2 are pulled in opposite directions in line with the longitudinal axis of the handle 1. The open end 10 of the handle 1 is directed downward so that, by gravity, the insert block 3 with attached main ribs 8 and fabric 6 will slide from the second stop means 5 to the first stop means 4, thereby placing the main ribs 8 and the fabric 6 outside of the handle 1. The handle 1 is then inverted so that the main ribs 8 can pivot into their respective receiving slots 11 of the handle 1, thereby spreading the fabric 6, as shown in FIG. 6. The handle top cover 2 is then replaced onto the handle 1 underneath the fabric 6 by elevating the fabric 6 slightly and placing the open end 10 of the handle 1 and the open end 14 of the handle top cover 2 in apposition and pushing them together in line with the longitudinal axis of the handle 1. The central area of the fabric 6 is thereby supported by the closed end 13 of the handle top cover 2, as shown in FIG. 6.

To close the umbrella, remove the handle top cover 2 as described above. Then direct the open end 10 of the handle 1 downward so that, by gravity, the main ribs 8 will pivot from the spread position as shown in FIG. 6 to a position substantially parallel to each other. The

fabric 6 is manually compressed around the main ribs 8 so that the compact bundle can be pushed directly into the interior of the handle 1 to the position where the insert 3 contacts the second stop 5 which is the closed end of the handle 1 as shown in FIG. 7. The fabric 6 is not shown in FIG. 7. The handle top cover 2 is replaced onto the handle I as shown in FIG. 7.

I claim as my invention:

1. An umbrella, comprising: an elongated hollow handle having a rim provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots extending from one end of the handle part way into said rim, an insert slidably fitted in said handle to be movable from a recessed position therein to a position adjacent said rim, a plurality of ribs pivotally attached to said insert to be movable to a elustered position where they are substantially parallel to one another and to the longitudinal aXis of said handle and also to be movable, when said insert is adjacent said rim, to a spread position where they are respectively received in said slots and extend outwardly at an angle to said handle, a flexible fabric connected to said ribs to be spreadably supported thereby when said ribs are in said spread position, said fabric and said ribs being adapted to form a bundle insertable in said handle, and means between said fabric and said ribs operative on said ribs when in said spread position to restrain them from moving out of said spread position.

2. An umbrella, comprising: an elongated hollow handle having a rim provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots extending from one end of the handle part way into said rim, an insert slidably fitted in said handle to be movable from a recessed position therein to a position adjacent said rim, a first and a second stop means carried by said handle, respectively imposing upper and lower limits to the travel of said insert within said handle, said first st-op means being operative to stop said insert in a position adjacent said slotted rim, a flexible fabric connected to said ribs to be spreadably supported thereby when said ribs are in said spread position, said ribs and said fabric being adapted to form a bundle insertable in said handle, and means between said fabric and said ribs operative on said ribs when in said spread position to restrain them from moving out of said spread position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,374 9/87 Vail l3S-l9 2,439,752 4/48 Pfeil l9.5 2,700,390 1/55 Poston et al. 135-20 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Examiner. 

2. AN UMBRELLA, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED HOLLOW HANDLE HAVING A RIM PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SLOTS EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE HANDLE PART WAY INTO SAID RIM, AN INSERT SLIDABLY FITTED IN SAID HANDLE TO BE MOVABLE FROM A RECESSED POSITION THEREIN TO A POSITION ADJACENT SAID RIM, A FIRST AND A SECOND STOP MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HANDLE, RESPECTIVELY IMPOSING UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS TO THE TRAVEL OF SAID INSERT WITHIN SAID HANDLE, SAID FIRST STOP MEANS BEING OPERATIVE TO STOP SAID INSERT IN A POSITION ADJACENT SAID SLOTTED RIM, A FLEXIBLE FABRIC CONNECTED TO SAID RIBS TO BE SPREADABLY SUPPORTED THEREBY WHEN SAID RIBS ARE IN SAID SPREAD POSITION, SAID RIBS AND SAID FABRIC BEING ADAPTED TO FORM A BUNDLE INSERTABLE IN SAID HANDLE, AND MEANS BETWEEN SAID FABRIC AND SAID RIBS OPERATIVE ON SAID RIBS WHEN IN SAID SPREAD POSITION TO RESTRAIN THEM FROM MOVING OUT OF SAID SPREAD POSITION. 